英吉利海峡 (Yīng jí lì hǎi xiá) — English Channel

Definition

noun
English Channel

Examples

  • 英吉利海峡。
    Qù nián xià tiān wǒ men zuò chuán chuān guò le Yīng jí lì hǎi xiá.
    Last summer we sailed through the English Channel.
  • 英吉利海峡。
    Yīng jí lì hǎi xiá Shì lián jiē dà xī yáng hé běi hǎi de zhòng yào háng dào.
    The English Channel is an important waterway connecting the Atlantic and the North Sea.
  • ，英吉利海峡。
    Cóng fǎ guó dào yīng guó, zuò huǒ chē jīng guò Yīng jí lì hǎi xiá suì dào hěn fāng biàn.
    From France to Britain, taking the train through the Channel Tunnel is very convenient.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

英吉利England
英yīng吉jí利lì
海峡strait
海hǎisea峡xiágorge
偏正Modifier + head

英吉利 carries no meaning of its own and spells England, while 海峡 joins sea and gorge for strait.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
央
央yāng英yīng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

英 pairs 艹 (grass) with 央, which gives the sound.

Open 英 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In the earliest forms, 吉 was drawn with a mouth-like lower part and an upper part that later became today's upper shape.

Open 吉 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

利 combines 禾 (grain) and 刀 (knife), showing a knife used to cut grain.

Open 利 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi海hǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

Open 海 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 峽; 峡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
夾
夾jiā峽
Same sound today

The traditional form 峽 combines 山, a mountain, with 夾, used for its sound; this note describes 峽, not 峡.

Open 峡 →

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